Oprah Winfrey ’s breakout role in “The Color Purple” transformed her acting career and inadvertently helped her become one of the most powerful figures in television history. The movie adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel was filmed and released in 1985. At the time, she was the host of “AM Chicago.”

The Missouri native debuted her eponymous daytime talk show in 1986 — the syndicated program ran for 25 seasons and became the most-watched and highest-rated TV show during its two decades on air.

In the premiere episode of the “NXT Chapter with T.D. Jakes” podcast, the mogul reflected on taking on her Oscar-nominated role as Sophia led her to bet on herself at her day job. She recalled, “I only had a two-week vacation period, so I agreed to give up my entire vacation for the rest of my contra

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